Do you have kids?

I just wondered how many LGBT people here in this forum have kids.
If you don't, do you ever imagine having them someday? How do you think they'll change your life? Do you think that their existence may change your perception of yourself, your LGBT identity or your behavior anyhow?
If you do have kids, please tell me if the change was how you expected it would be, and if it did change your perception of yourself, your LGBT identity or your behavior. Also maybe the unexpected changes in your life/in how you view your life.

Personally having kids is a great part of who I am and I'm going to answer my own question too in a reply below to not make the opening post too long (*hug*)

 

To answer my own question, I have a wonderful 15 months old daughter and a second one on the way, due for march.
It didn't go like I had expected, at all. For one, I half believed people around me when they said it was a (bad) life changer; very expensive, very limiting, very tough on the nerves.
It ended up being so easy, so inexpensive and... just full of joy, basically. My daughter was barely born that I had a solid connection with her who happened to just improve over time. I already knew instinctively how to hold her, how to understand her, how to communicate with her and she's been an awesome baby. From birth on she's always just been... nice; like she wants to please us, she wants to make us laugh, she don't want to disturb or to be a hindrance. She's social, she adores music, she adores to dance. Everybody loves her!
Becoming a parent DID change how I perceived myself, as well. It's like I suddenly became more valuable (somehow?) as a person because I am taking care of another. That's just a feeling, nothing that can be explained logically, but I do enjoy life much deeper, every single little thing; somehow my life seems brighter, happier.
It did also change how I perceive myself as a LGBT individual (a bisexual transman) and I have to admit that I didn't expect my identity and sexual orientation would appear as such an obstacle now. My life values have slightly slid from wanting personal expression/freedom most to wanting what's best for my kids and I find myself struggling to arrange so both goals fit together. Sounds easy at first; I keep being my old loving self and good husband and dad and things will fall down at their place. But no.. I also have to find the right/best environment for this to happen and keep a constant guard up against what homophobic person/trans-phobic person might put in the way of my family's happiness.

My behavior slightly changed too. I find that I place less efforts/energy into meeting other people, whether they be friends or potential lovers (my marriage is an open one) and I focus more on my wife and family life. That's not a bad change per say, it's just that seeing my wife being such a good mom drives me more to her! :love:

I still am who I am though, that didn't change. I don't hide it in any way, shape or form. I'm an ameliorated me

 

Woa no other parents here so far? I'm really stunned! :eek: gets me to wonder why though; like, do LGBT parents stop foruming once they have kids? :icon_wink

:eusa_clap(*hug*) Love that idea. I wish you the best with this!! Honestly. :smilewave

 

That's something that was deeply moving, for me, when I was walking hand in hand with my wife before we had kids. There was something, someone, missing.. we painfully missed our kids before having them!